Acrobat, The

Talk about trade descriptions. Let it be known that there’s nothing acrobatic about The Acrobat. In fact, Carlo Adinolfi is not even an especially pleasing mover, though he does insist on doing several uninteresting dance sequences.

No, this oddly misjudged show is about an Italian postal worker who sees his chance to escape to New York when his mother dies. Readying himself to say goodbye to his childhood home, he receives a letter from his aunt insisting he come and take care of her. Why this should put him in such an emotional quandary - and why any child should care - is unclear. It’s certainly not enough of a problem to justify a whole play.

Concrete Temple Theatre’s production strings it out with a series of Bunuel-style surrealist visions that give physical shape to the postman’s anxieties. The multiple record players, strange orange lady and outsize envelope might have made a novel show if they hadn’t been used in such a slow and laboured way. (Mark Fisher)